Index-compiling device.



W. A. ANTILOTTI.

INDEX GOMPILING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 13, 1908. 93 ,2 7, Patented Oct. 12, 1909.

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W A. ANTILOTTI. INDEX GOMPILING DEVIOE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-.13, 1908. 986,287.

Patented Oct. 12,1909.

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WILLIAM A. ANTILO'ITI, OF MACON, GEORGIA.

INDEX-GOMPILING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Oct. 12, 1999.

Application filed. March 13, 1908. Serial No. 420,837.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM A. ANTI- LOTTI, a citizen of the United States, residing at'Macon, in the county of Bibb and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Index-C0mpiling Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device intended for use in compiling indexes and it contemplates a method which consists in writing the names of persons, places or the like, on individual cards or tickets in a more or less promiscuous manner and then distributing the cards into alphabetical pockets, the cards being distributed by at least the first two letters of the names.

The invention has for one of its objects to provide an index compiling device so designed that the distributing or arranging of the cards alphabetically can be easily, quickly and accurately carried on.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character including a basket or holder divided into a large number of pockets into each of which all the cards bearing the same first and second letters are to be placed, and after be- .ing thus distributed an index can be conveniently compiled in regular alphabetical order.

Another object is the employment, in connection with the basket or holder, of a pocket-designating element which is relatively movable over the pockets that are preferably aranged in rows and alphabetically designated and on the element are alphabetical characters to designate the individual pockets of a given row so as to facilitate the placing of the cards in the proper pockets.

With these and other objects in view, as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises the various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described hereinafter and set forth with particularity in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one of the embodiments of the invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section thereof. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the basket or holder. Fig. 4: is a perspective view of a modified form of pocket whereby the cards can be distributed by the first three letters of each name. Fig. 5 is a view showing one form of card or ticket used in the indexing scheme.

Similar reference characters are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawing, A designates the basket or ticket-holder, and B, a protective casing in which the holder is mounted, the cover C of the casing forming the pocket-designating element of the device. The casing B is provided with a central pivot or post 1 on which the basket is adapted to turn, and the latter is removable from the post after first opening the cover C. The cover may be hingedly connected with the casing as by hinges 2 and is adapted to be fastened closed in any suitable manner, as for instance, by a pivoted hook 3 on the front of the casing and arranged to engage over a pin on the cover.

The card holder or basket, which like the casing may be made of wood, cardboard, sheet metal or the like, is in the form of a circular plinth and is provided with radial rows of pockets 4, these pockets being arranged in two groups a and Z) disposed at opposite sides of a diametrical line, and the rows of each group are designated by letters'arranged alphabetically. The letters of the group a read from the right to the left, while those of the group Z) read from the left to the right. The individual pockets are of such size as to conveniently receive a plurality of name-carrying cards, the cards being dropped vertically in the pockets and are of suflicient length as to project out of the tops of the pockets so as to be conveniently re moved. In practice, it has been found preferable to arrange the rows of pockets in the manner set forth but it is to be understood that the arrangement may be varied if found desirable under certain requirements.

The cover C is provided with radial slots 5 which are arranged in groups a and b so as to expose a plurality of rows of pockets 4 of both groups at all times, it being preferable to employ several slots so that any desired row or rows of pockets can be exposed with a minimum movement of the basket, thus economizing time and labor. The slots 5 of one group are arranged diametrically opposite those of the other group and on the cover are letters arranged along the slots so as to designate the individual pockets in the rows. There are thirteen pockets in each row and therefore the slots of the group I) are provided with the first thirteen letters of the alphabet, while the slots of the other group are provided with the last thirteen letters. The letters on the basket for designating the rows of pockets are exposed through the slots 5 and, if desired, the cover 0 may be provided with an arcuate slot 7 for revealing the row designating letters of the basket.

In practice, the names to be indexed are written on small cards D, and when the cards have been completed, they are distributed or arranged in alphabetical order in the following manner. In case the name should be Cincinnati, the basket A is taken in one hand at the point where it is exposed at the side of the casing and turned in a direction to bring the row marked C under the nearest slot of the cover and the card is then dropped in the pocket opposite the letter I at such slot. If the name on the next card is Chicago, it would be dropped in the pocket opposite the letter H, and so on. Assuming the next card bore the word Boston, it would be necessary to move the basket to bring the row of pockets designated B under the adjacent slot of the cover, and then by reading down the alphabet of the slot of group Z), it will be found that 0 does not occur therein so that the reading is con tinued to the diametrically opposite slot of group at until 0 is reached and at the pocket designated 0, the card is deposited. A card having the word Trenton, would be deposited in the pocket of the T row desig nated by the letter It. After the cards are all distributed in this manner, the cover is opened so as to give access to the cards. The cards in each pocket are taken out and further distributed so that the third letters of the names will read alphabetically and can be immedately compiled into an index. Assuming that the cards of the pocket AA are thus disposed of, the cards of the pocket designated AB are next alphabetically arranged by the third letter and compiled in the index, and in same manner the rest of the cards in the A row of pockets are distributed and compiled. This method is carried on with the cards of the individual pockets of the remaining rows until the compiling of the index is completed.

It might be desirable to construct each pocket with compartments 8 which are individually designated by letters 9, such for instance, as the five vowels, so that the cards can be distributed alphabetically according to the third letter, and under this arrangement such a word as Louisville would be deposited in the compartment U of the pocket 0 of the row of pockets designated L, Lou being the first three letters of the word. The pocket may also have a general compartment 9 to receive those cards bearing names whose third letters are not vowels.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the advantages of the construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation of the invention, together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. A device of the class described comprising a circular holder having two groups of pockets arranged in radial rows, the groups being arranged respectively at opposite sides of a diametrical line and the rows of one group being arranged in diametrical alinement with corresponding rows of the other group, letters on the holder arranged alphabetically for designating the individual rows and disposed in an are around the center of the holder, a member disposed over the holder and having an arcuate slot through which the letters are exposed and also provided with a plurality of radial slots arranged to simultaneously expose some of the rows of both groups of pockets, letters arranged alphabetically on the memher along the radial slots for designating the individual pockets by any row, and means for pivotally connecting the member wit-l1 the holder for relative oscillatory movement.

2. A device of the class described comprising a holder having a plurality of rows of pockets arranged in groups, the several rows of one group being opposite to and alining with the corresponding rows of the other group, letters on the holder for designating the rows in alphabetical order, a member disposed over the holder and having a plurality of view openings arranged in groups to register at one time with a plurality of rows of pockets and the several openings of one group being disposed op posite the corresponding openings of the other group, sets of letters arranged on the member in alphabetical order, each set of letters being arranged partly along the openings of one group and continuing along the corresponding openings of the other group for indicating the individual pockets of the various rows, and means for connecting the member and holder for relative movement to expose the various rows of pockets through the openings. 7

3. The combination of a holder, a member disposed over the same, means for mounting the holder and member for relative back and forth movement, a plurality of pockets closely arranged in the holder all with open ends in one of the faces thereof and disposed in two sets of rows, one set of rows extending in the direction of movement between the member and holder and the other set of rows extending across the first set, said mem her having a plurality of spaced slots extending parallel to the rows of the second set for exposing a plurality of such rows at a time, a series of designating characters arranged on the member along the slots thereof for designating the pockets of the first set of rows, and a series of cha 'acters on the holder arranged at the ends of the rows of the second set of pockets and cooperating with the first series of characters to designate any pocket by reference to both said series.

4. A device of the class describedcomprising a holder provided with a plurality of groups of pockets, each group consisting of twenty-six radial rows and a plurality of concentric rows, sets of letters arranged alphabetically on the holder for designating the radial rows of the respective groups, one set of letters being readable from left to right and the other set from right to left, a member disposed over the holder and having a plurality of radially-disposed slots for each group of pockets and each of such length as to expose all the pockets of any radial row, sets of letters arranged on the member in alphabetical order along the radial slots, each set of letters extending partly along the corresponding slots of both groups, and means located between the groups of pockets at the center of the said concentric rows for connecting the holder and member for relative oscillatory movement.

A device of the class described comprising a holder having upper and lower groups of radially-disposed rows of pockets, an al phabetical index arranged in a circle to designate the separate rows of pockets each by a letter, a member disposed over the holder and having upper and lower groups of radially-disposed slots adapted to register with the radial rows of pockets and also having an arcuate slot for exposing the alphabetical index, alphabetical indexes arranged on the members adjacent the radial rows, each of the last-mentioned indexes extending partly along a slot of the upper group and partly along a diametrically-disposed slot of the other group, and means providing for relative movement of the member and holder.

6. A device of the class described comprising a holder having a flat face and provided with pockets open in the said fiat face, the pockets being arranged in rows disposed side by side, letters for designating the individual rows and arranged in alphabetical order in a single line, a member disposed over the said flat face of the holder and having a plurality of slots extending transversely to the said line of letters for exposing some of the rows of pockets, letters arranged in alphabetical order on the outer face of the member and disposed along the slots to designate the individual pockets in the rows exposed through the slots, and means for mounting the members and holder for relative movement.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM A. ANTILOTTI.

lVitnesses D. B. HU'rsoN, A. C. FREEMAN. 

